The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora and referred to by the cultivar name Yoko Ono.
The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hensbroek, The Netherlands. The objective of the program is to create and develop new Chrysanthemum cultivars with interesting inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors, and good post-production longevity.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross by the Inventor of the Inventor""s proprietary selection of Dendranthema grandiflora identified as K.O.96.925.1 as the female, or seed, parent with the Inventor""s proprietary selection of Dendranthema grandiflora identified as K.O.96.768.1 as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Hensbroek, The Netherlands in November, 1997. The selection of the new Chrysanthemum was based on its interesting inflorescence form and ray floret coloration.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings harvested in Hensbroek, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Yoko Ono has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Yoko Onoxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Yoko Onoxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Small yellow green pompon-type inflorescences.
2. Dark green foliage.
3. Early response time.
4. Good post-production longevity.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent, the selection K.O.96.925.1, primarily in inflorescence form as the female parent has semi-decorative-type inflorescences. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum have smaller inflorescences with much less pollen than plants of the female parent. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent, the selection K.O.96.768.1, primarily in inflorescence form as the male parent has semi-pompon-type inflorescences. In addition, inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are much smaller than inflorescences of plants of the male parent.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to the Chrysanthemum cultivar Kermit, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hensbroek, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Kermit differ in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more uniform than plants of the cultivar Kermit.
2. Ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum is more green in color than ray floret color of plants of the cultivar Kermit.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower earlier than plants of the cultivar Kermit.